Haphazard Musings
by Mendori-chan
Summary: Part III: The Coffee Kiss. KagexBeni one-shot
1. Birthday

**Haphazard Musings**

Prompt: Birthday Dinner

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Kagetora held them up slowly and then set them in direct contact with the heat of the bonfire he had made. They sat there, skewered through by a long stick, cooking away steadily through the night. The fresh aroma of fish filled his nostrils, and this made him smile widely.

Fifteen minutes passed, and they were done! Eagerly, he took the fish meat from the skewer and wrapped them up inside a huge banana leaf. They smelled like spice, and fresh ginger—which indicated that the seasonings were perfect.

Smilingly, he lifted the hot meal in his hands and jogged back into the Fujiwara mansion, which was bright and illuminated amidst the darkness of the night.

As he approached the porch, he found his target sitting alone overlooking the small pond. And being an excellent ninja of stealth, he molded himself into the shadows effortlessly.

So when he practically jumped on her, singing "Happy Birthday Beni-sama!" from behind her, she almost fell into the pond in front of her.

"Kage—" He presented his banana leaf-wrapped fish to her, cutting her off.

"I made a meal for you." He smiled his impeccable smile.

"A meal…?" she asked, quite confused. Then she examined this gift of his with much more scrutiny, and the impact of the aroma hit her senses.

"Woooow!" Beni cheered excitedly, and then took the meal into her hands right away. She was, however, gravely unaware of how hot it was. As soon as the heat made contact with her skin, she shrieked. Simultaneously, Kagetora took it back from her grasp.

"Careful!" he assuaged her, rubbing his fingers with hers. He inspected her delicate hands for burns. "Beni-sama, please let me serve you myself. I wouldn't want you to get hurt just for a very simple reason."

Her cheeks grew hot. Looking down on her lap, she quietly murmured, "I-I'm sorry. It's just that no one ever does these kinds of things for me…" She trailed off while slowly lifting her gaze back up at her bodyguard.

His eyes glimmered from the light reflected from the pond before them, softening as he continued to stare at her.

"I'm very happy, then, to be the first one to offer you such service."

She smiled widely. "Thank you Kagetora." And then, looking at the wrapped gift he had on his side, she announced, "Let's eat!"

Sometime during the middle of their very simple meal, Beni noticed that her fish was slightly undercooked. Upon closer inspection, she found out that there were orange and yellow scales sticking out.

Then, shooting her eyes to the fish pond, it all clicked together. There were only two koi fishes left, swirling in a slow dance beneath the water.

"Um…"

"Are you okay, Beni-sama? Does the fish… taste bad?"

She looked at him and saw how dejected his face was. And all she could do was laugh out loud in a fit of hysterics, leaving Kagetora bewildered.

"D-Did… Did I do something wrong?"

Waving her hand at him dismissively, she replied, "This tastes wonderful! I'm so happy right now." She leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his fish-seasoned lips. "I would rather have this than a banquet, or a ceremony."

At that, Kagetora beamed, clearly proud of himself as he finished up the rest of his meal.

Beni, on the other hand, still had an inward smile plastered on her face. Obviously she was enjoying a private joke. So it was only for her entertainment, knowing that Kagetora had just murdered her father's two million-yen's worth of koi fishes for her birthday.

It was probably the best gift she could ever have.

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A/N: kyaaaaa! :D hope you enjoyed my 1st Shinobi Life story! please REVIEW. ^^


	2. Desperation

**Haphazard Musings**

Prompt: Desperation

A/N: Okay, this was a little alternative to the scene where Kagetora stormed out of the house after Beni and Renkaku kissed. 'Nuff said.

He knocked three times in the past four hours. Though it did not really say that he _tried his best_, he still waited outside her door nonetheless. He waited, even when his timepiece—the sun—had disappeared from the window's view sometime ago.

It did not occur to him how much his actions had hurt Beni. Nor did he have any right to demand an explanation from her. She simply locked herself in her room, out of his sight, without further elaboration other than a pained look in her eyes before closing the door in his face.

So as Kagetora is Kagetora, he did not intrude into her privacy—very well knowing that he could find twenty-three different ways to break into her room.

He was a man of patience, and so he simply stood there with his hand lightly brushing the wooden outline of Beni's door without further complaint.

Two hours passed.

Three.

Four.

Standing like a completely still statue, he did not move an inch except for his quiet breathing.

And then, he heard a rustle of fabric from deep within the room. His eyes shot open, and the sound was followed by footsteps making their way towards the door.

"Beni…sama?" he managed to whisper, so softly that he was afraid she would break down knowing he was here all along.

A muffled reply, "Sorry…"

Kagetora rested his cheek to the door with his ear pressed lightly to feel like he was closer to her. "No, I'm sorry Beni-sama. I was not thinking correctly. I had no right to raise my voice in your presence."

Silence, then a soft sigh.

"Are you still angry with me?" he asked hesitantly.

"No…"

His brows wrinkled up in longing. "May I see you, Beni-sama?"

There was a very long pause. It was not awkward, but it was deliberate and pensive. Until Beni felt that it was time, she twisted the door knob and slowly creaked the door open.

She was looking down at the floor, her teeth gnawing on her lower lip. She did not want to meet his eyes.

But this was a wave of relief for Kagetora. And he could not stop himself from encircling his long arms around her fragile body and press her closer to his chest.

He buried his face in her hair. "I am sorry…"

Beni returned his embrace, though delicate and vulnerable. She smiled slightly, also in relief to be with him.

_I was doing that to protect him…To protect him_, she reminded herself before she broke into a spasm of sobs.

Kagetora rubbed circles around her back, quieting her down. "I am not angry with you," he whispered, as if answering an unspoken question. "Though…"

He took her face in his hand and rested his fingers on her chin to get a better look. "…I do not want to feel that cling of desperation, knowing I could not do anything when he—he…" His face crumpled, revealing an enormous emotion that he could not meet her eyes any longer.

Beni watched as Kagetora began to suppress his thoughts of that afternoon. It was distorted in many ways, in many faces of grief and pain. She reached out and placed her hand on his cheek, and almost instantly, his face calmed.

Before he could continue to explain, she arched her head up to plant a kiss on his mouth.

It was like molding two molten rocks together—like slow moving fire that sealed a whirlwind of emotions. All that has been said, all that has been seen meant nothing more than a memory like a leaf being engulfed in flames.

He bent down deeper, slowly, and took her in her arms—pressing her, as though forever.


	3. Coffee Kiss

**Haphazard Musings**

Prompt: Coffee Kiss

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She was stirring something ominous that looked like mud diluted in steaming hot water.

Kagetora leaned in closer to the table as Beni set the mug down. He was eyeing it suspiciously. "Beni-sama, what is… that?"

She looked at him with her lips parted, as if forming an "oh."

"I forgot!" she tapped the spoon on the table. "You've never had coffee before."

"C-Cough… fee?"

"Coffee," Beni corrected, smiling brilliantly. "It's what we usually drink during breakfast. Keeps us up all day."

Kagetora just nodded absently. The scent of it was disturbing, and it still did not escape his suspicions.

Beni noticed this incredulous expression of his, so she interceded, "Why don't you try some?"

He blinked. "B-But…"

"I can't cook, but I can make coffee." She grinned, and then took the cup closer to her nose. "I'll just give it a taste to make sure it won't be too strong."

She took a sip from the mug carefully after blowing gently into it. A hot mist of smoke escaped the rim, and she eagerly drank in small amounts with her lips touching the edge of the mug.

And then, she beamed. "It's perfect!"

Putting the mug back down on the table just enough for Kagetora to reach, she gestured for him to take a sip as well. "Try it. Maybe you'll like it."

He was up for a little experiment anyway, so he conceded gladly and wound the mug's handle with his fingers. Just then, a trilling ring echoed throughout the house and Beni perked up.

"The phone is ringing. Just take a sip, Kagetora, and I'll be right back," she told him, and then dashed into the back room out of sight.

He did as she asked then.

Gently, caressing the mug as if it were the most delicate thing in the world, he blew in a breath of air to allow the hot steam to escape. And his lips slowly, cautiously touched the exact spot where Beni had tasted the coffee.

He took small sips, tasting nothing but horrible bitterness and inhaling a very unfamiliar and revolting smell. But somehow, despite how strong the brew was, it was sweet… ultimately sweet.

He did not like the coffee one bit; but he enjoyed the kiss that it held when his lips met the rim. And it was warmth made concrete.

"So how is it?" Beni hopped back to her seat a while later, eager to know his answer.

His eyes widened, intense and shining with bliss. "It was amazing," he replied, almost too fervent to simply be describing coffee.

She clapped her hands excitedly. "Yaayy! I'll make some for you again tomorrow." She obviously did not get the double meaning.

Kagetora nodded, grinning back. "Please do taste it first."

"Of course!"

"Then I will happily concede."

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**End.**

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A/N: teehee… sneaky Kagetora. :3 Stealing indirect kisses from Beni.


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